Arboriculture I

This 100 hour course from the Garden Design Academy develops your skills and understanding in diagnosis and treatment of tree disorders - pests, diseases, nutritional deficiencies, water and other problems.

You will learn about the standard tree surgery practices, to prune and train both young and established trees, and the safety measures to follow.

All too often trees are the forgotten giants of our gardens, parks and countryside. A shrub or ground cover plant is far closer to the human eye than a tree and these plants usually get most of our attention because they are so easily seen.

With trees it often seems to be "out of sight, out of mind".
Trees have in fact potential for far greater problems than shrubs. If a shrub blows over, it creates a bit of a mess and a gap in the garden bed. If a tree blows over, it can destroy half the garden, make a large hole in the roof of a house, or crush your new car.

Trees, like people, can be hurt, they can get sick, and sooner or later they will die. They need to be fed and watered and they do need "doctoring" if their life is to be extended to the fullest. Some trees, like some people, are hardier and never seem to become ill. In the same way, however, many trees have "medical" problems which no one seems to notice until it is too late!

As with all our courses, study papers are provided on a CD, in total involving approximately 100 hours of work. The course is divided into 8 lessons with an assignment set at the end of each. These are sent to the Academy for marking and are returned to you with comments and suggestions. These exercises help you guage your progress and reinforce what you have learned.

You will be working with Colin Elliott, an experienced professional horticulturist, landscaper and garden designer.

There are eight lessons in this module, as follows:

1. Introduction to Arboriculture

Trees in the garden, Planting in the right position, Choosing the right variety, Choosing the right specimen, How to plant different types of trees, Transplanting, Tree Guards, Using a Tree Report Form